


you've got the keys to me

by payneberry



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/F, Fluff, Genderswap, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-03
Updated: 2013-05-03
Packaged: 2017-12-10 06:11:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/782723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/payneberry/pseuds/payneberry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam and Louis get their first tattoos together. A genderswap ficlet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you've got the keys to me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [batgirled](https://archiveofourown.org/users/batgirled/gifts).



> [Kristin](http://teapotters.tumblr.com/) was like, "yo write me some girl!lilo fic where they get tattoos" so that's what I did and also lots of thanks to her for reading this through and fixing my errors and telling me it's okay enough to post here. I love you. :*

Liam goes first.

She pulls her hair back into a stumpy ponytail at the base of her neck and curls the pieces that hang loose behind her ears and takes a deep breath.

“Okay, I’m ready,” she says, getting into chair, and shucking off her left shoe, bending down awkwardly to pull off her sock and tuck it into her trainer.

“You sure, Li,” Louis says, looking down at her, smiling. “We’re about be become blood brothers – er, sisters.. or something. Except... hopefully there won’t be much blood,” she adds hastily, seeking the eyes of the tattoo artist.

He laughs and shakes his head. “Probably not, love.”

“Okay, good,” Louis exhales, curling a hand around Liam’s neck, her fingers flirting with the collar of Liam’s worn t-shirt. “Ready, then?” she directs at Liam.

“Ready,” Liam affirms.

The artist twists Liam’s foot so the soft white of the inside of her ankle is on display. He cleans the area with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball before he carefully runs a razor over the few fine hairs she must’ve missed. Liam starts a bit at the pressure, the and takes a deep breath. This is really it, she thinks. No turning back now.

Liam likes to consider herself pretty tolerable of pain, but honestly knowing someone is about to pierce her repeatedly with a needle – no, knowing she’s _paying_ someone to pierce her repeatedly with a needle – well, it’s a bit unnerving and enough to make Liam question her own sanity.

But then she feels Louis run her hand down Liam’s own arm, like she _knows_ what’s running through Liam’s mind, and Liam remembers why she’s doing this. Louis fingers gently graze inside her elbow and all the way down her forearm before entwining tightly with Liam’s own. She squeezes once and Liam looks up to catch her gaze. Louis only nods in return with a soft yet reassuring smile on her face – the one that most people don’t see, the one that’s for Liam.

It’s over before she knows it. Liam watches intently the whole time as the tattooist deftly marks her with two smooth and very permanent lines, sucking at her teeth as they intersect and Louis instinctively gives her hand another tight squeeze.

It really didn’t hurt all that much, Liam thinks as the artist cleans it up and covers it with small gauze and a bit of tape. She knows it’s small and maybe it was silly of her to be worried at all, but now she really doesn’t care because now she’s got this permanent reminder on her skin – a little note to never forget where she was or has been or how she got there.

Liam looks up to Louis who smiles and tightens her fingers around Liam’s one last time. “Sick,” she says in a hushed voice.

Then it’s Louis’s turn.

She’d been full of false bravado on the way in, but Liam can tell she’s nervous as she sinks into the chair and pulls her free leg up underneath herself, her to-be-tattooed ankle bared beneath her denim cuffs.

“It doesn’t hurt that much, Lou,” Liam assures her, gazing down at her own ankle and giving it a small twist. “Just a little scratch, really. And it’s gonna be so worth it, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Louis nods as she steels herself and grits her teeth a bit. “Okay, let’s do this,” she says.

“You need me to hold your hand?” Liam asks, her voice soft and sincere.

“Probably not,” Louis breaths as the tattooist preps her ankle and Liam deflates a little beside her. “But you can do it anyway, love,” she says, holding her hand out for Liam to grasp.

Louis doesn’t watch. She screws her eyes tight, grits her teeth, and holds Liam’s fingers tightly as the artist draws the needle across her thin skin. Liam thinks maybe it should hurt – her fingers, that is, – but mostly she can’t feel a thing because she’s here _with Louis_ doing this incredible permanent thing that’s about the band, but also about them. The two of them.

She lets out a large breath as the artist tells her it’s done and wipes the area clean of excess ink. She stares down and it, a glassy look in her eyes as a smile curls across her face.

“Blood sisters,” she says, looking up to Liam.

Liam laughs. “But there wasn’t any blood.”

“Don’t care,” Louis says, matter-of-fact. “We’re blood sisters now.”

“Whatever you say, Tommo.”

Their hands are still locked as they stumble out of the tattoo parlor and Liam realizes that they haven’t let go since Louis sat down. And that’s... something. Liam thinks maybe it should be weird because hands get sweaty and it’s probably supposed to be awkward to be griping so tightly to your best friend when it’s not even necessary anymore.

Liam goes to pull her hand out of Louis’s clutch, but Louis only holds her tighter.

“You know, Liam,” she says as they’re crossing a busy London street and Liam suddenly realizes she’s not even sure when they’re headed.

“Hmm?” she questions.

Louis stops them on the corner, turning into Liam. “You know, we’re kind of like these two little lines,” she says, and Liam remembers that bit about how people talk about a ‘tattoo high’. She can understand that now because she has no idea what Louis is even talking about.

She laughs out a “what?” and shakes her head. “What are you even talking about, Tommo? We should probably get some food, yeah?”

Louis only stares back up at her, face serious. “You and me,” she continues. “We’re like these lines,” she looks down and wiggles her covered ankle. “Permanently intersected. Always together.”

Liam swallows thickly, her mouth suddenly dry as Louis steps closer, their hands still threaded together.

“Lou,” Liam breathes as Louis steps up onto her toes.

It’s quick. Just a soft press of Louis’s lips against Liam’s and the high Liam thought she had been experiencing fades away. It’s like everything is finally clear.

The it’s Louis who takes a step back after, her head down.

“Um, sorry,” she starts, but Liam’s still holding Louis’s hand tight and she refuses to let her go.

Instead she pulls her in, their chest pressed close together. “Don’t,” she says, leaning down to find Louis’s lips again and this time it’s intense and eager as Liam brings her free hand up into Louis’s hair, Liam’s tongue swiping softly against Louis’s bottom lip.

“Yeah?” Louis says when they break, a spark of hope in her eyes and her voice.

Liam laughs and smiles a smile so large she thinks her face could break. She definitely doesn’t care. “Yeah,” she nods and Louis beams right back.

She doesn’t know what else to say, so Liam kisses Louis again.

“Wait,” Louis says and pulls away a bit. Liam heart sinks a bit but then Louis laughs and squeezes Liam’s hand. “Just, maybe. Maybe not on the pavement, yeah? That was probably not my best idea,” she laughs and pulls Liam along.

“Well, I think it was a well brilliant idea,” she says, knocking her shoulder against Louis’s.

“Oh, shush, you sap,” Louis says, but tightens the hold on Liam’s hand. “Now didn’t you say something about food.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title's from Taylor Swift's "Jump Then Fall" b/c I feel like it. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed. xx


End file.
